Discretionary business rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses

Due to ongoing cost pressures for the sector and changes to business rates from April 2026 (including the end of the national 40% retail, hospitality and leisure relief scheme), in February 2026 we decided to extend the discretionary relief scheme into the 2026/27 financial year.

This discretionary scheme has also be extended to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses that have lost some or all of their entitlement to small business rate relief due to the 2026 revaluation.

Relief you'll receive

We'll award up to 100% discretionary top-up relief to supplement the ending of the national 40% retail, hospitality and leisure relief scheme, which ended in April 2026. Eligible businesses will receive up to 100% relief for 2026/27, capped at a maximum of £55,000 per business.

Any national transitional relief, supporting small business relief, or pub relief applicable for 2026/27 will be applied before any local discretionary relief under this policy. The discretionary award will only apply to the remaining liability, subject to eligibility and cash-cap limits.

Eligibility

To be eligible for discretionary retail, hospitality and leisure relief, businesses must meet the following conditions on 1 April 2026:

• Occupation and use: the business must be occupying and operating from a property in Barnsley categorised as retail, hospitality, or leisure for the purpose of the business rates multipliers. 

• Eligible for the national retail, hospitality and leisure relief during 2025/26:

  • the business must have been eligible for and receiving the national retail, hospitality and leisure relief for 2025/26 (40% relief) on 31 March 2026; or

  • the business would have been eligible for the national retail, hospitality and leisure relief for 2025/26 (40% relief) if they had not qualified for small business rate relief; or 

  • the business relocated to Barnsley after 1 April 2026 and is classified as operating in the retail, hospitality or leisure sectors in accordance with the government guidance from 1 April 2026 (see the qualifying retail, hospitality or leisure guidance and the non-domestic rating regulations 2025). 

• Engagement requirement: the business must agree to engage with Enterprising Barnsley for support and advice.

How to apply

You don’t need to apply for this discretionary relief. We've identified which businesses qualify from our business rates records, and the relief has automatically been awarded to eligible businesses.

We won't make an automatic award if we believe a business will exceed the cash cap or the subsidy control limits by receiving this extra relief. We'll contact you separately for more information if this is the case.

Business support and advice

The details of the businesses that have received the relief will be shared with our Enterprising Barnsley team, who will contact you to engage in the business support offer.

If you don’t hear from a business advisor but you would like additional support, you can contact the Enterprising Barnsley team by emailing investment@barnsley.gov.uk. The team can support businesses of all sizes to make sure they're in the best position they can be to grow and prosper in Barnsley.

Charities, community amateur sports clubs (CASC), non-profit organisations, clubs and associations will not be required to engage in the business support offer.

Cash cap and subsidy control 

When deciding if relief can be granted, we'll consider the minimal financial assistance limits under the Subsidy Control Act. These rules restrict the award of government subsidies (previously known as state aid) to businesses, which in certain circumstances include business rates relief. This means that no recipient can receive over £315,000 in subsidies over a three-year period (consisting of the current financial year and the two previous financial years).

Relief granted to charities and non-profit-making bodies normally doesn't contribute to these limits because they're not in market competition with other businesses. However, if they're engaged in commercial activities or displacing an economic operator, or if they have a commercial partner, then business rates relief may be subject to subsidy control. Find out more about subsidy control.

If you don’t want to receive the discretionary relief or you exceed the cash cap

You can opt out of receiving the additional relief by contacting us to tell us that you don’t want to receive the discount. 

You must also refuse the relief if you don't want to engage with a business support advisor as per the eligibility criteria.

Reconsiderations and appeals

As this is a discretionary award, there is no right of appeal. You can ask for our decision to be looked at again by completing our online form. You'll need to provide a full explanation of why you don't agree with the decision. A discretionary panel comprised of senior officers will look at each request and either confirm or revise the decision.

Fraudulent claims

The government and council won't tolerate any business falsifying their records or providing false evidence to gain this discount, including claiming support above the cash cap. If you falsely apply for relief, provide false information or make a false representation in order to gain relief, you may be guilty of fraud under the Fraud Act 2006.

We undertake checks to protect the council from fraudulent activity. We'll take all necessary steps to investigate allegations of attempted or committed fraud and will pursue sanctions available in each case, including prosecution and the recovery of council assets and funds.

More information